The primary goal of this CFAR is to support clinical, basic and translational research designed to improve the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS with a major focus on women, racial and ethnic minorities, and individuals with substance abuse problems. A second, and related, goal is to stimulate and support the research career development of NIH funded investigators, particularly those from minority communities. Because of the multi-disciplinary approaches required to achieve the above goals, a third aim is to stimulate cross-disciplinary research involving clinical, social and basic scientists. To provide the essential services to achieve these goals, we have established a Developmental Core;four Clinical Cores (HIV &Women, Prevention Science, Translational Science, and Gl and Nutrition), and two Basic Cores (Retrovirology Services, and Biostatistics and Outcomes). We have established one crossdisciplinary Scientific Program, the International Scientific Program (ISP). Members of the ISP utilize CFAR Core services in collaborative HIV/AIDS research in several resource-restricted nations with high overall HIV prevalence. We have also utilized four flexible, multi-disciplinary Scientific Working Groups (SWGs), each of which has members supported by three or more CFAR Cores. These include Behavioral Science, Neuro-AIDS, Underrepresented Minority Development, and AIDS Malignancy SWGs. More effective means of preventing and treating HIV infection in populations targeted by this research will result in decreasing the overall incidence of HIV infection and the return of a large proportion of persons living with HIV to productive, symptom-free lives, both in the United States and in higher HIV-prevalence areas in Africa and Asia.